Model airplanes



May 30, 1961 R. K. TEGEN ETAL MODEL AIRPLANES Filed April 15, 1958 IN V EN TORS. 1 RICHARD K. T GAN' BY LORlNL.HEW/TT ATTORNEY United States Patent 1 2,985,984 MODEL AIRPLANES Richard K. Tegen, 232 Lucinda Lane, Walnut Creek, $2115., and Lorin L. Hewitt, 871 S. H St., Livermore,

Filed Apr. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 728,575 3 Claims. (Cl. 46-77) The present invention relates to toy model airplanes and, more particularly, to glider models with movable elevators that are controlled while the airplane is in flight.

Power model airplanes are usually made with controlled movable elevators that are operated by two long lines extending from the model airplane. Through an arrangement of pulleys located in the body of the model, the movable elevators are operated by applying tension to either one of the two lines.

Glider (non-powered) models cannot use this system satisfactorily as they are kept in flight by the operators spinning them in a wide circle. To simultaneously manipulate, these lines in order to raise or lower the elevators on the model requires such inordinate dexterity and timing as not to be feasible.

The present invention provides a means by which a person can control the elevators and fly the glider simultaneously by the use of only one line connected to a novel system of interconnected levers and cranks. The other end of the novel system of interconnecting levers and cranks connects to the glider elevator. A person flying the model exercises control over the elevator by snapping the line.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to control the flight of a model glider airplane by the use of a mono-line.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a glider airplane in which the operator flies the airplane and operates the elevators of the airplane by a single line.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new type of model airplane.

The invention possesses other objects and features of an advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description, claims, and the accompanying drawings, in which is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the model airplane being shown in pictorial.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a toy glider airplane 11 which has a conventional body or fuselage 12, oppositely disposed wings 13, a rudder 14, a fixed elevator 16, and a movable elevator 17. The movable elevator 17 is attached to the trailing edge of the fixed elevator 16 with the aid of hinges 18, so that the movable elevator 17 is free to rotate about the trailing edge of the fixed elevator 16. This arrangement of the elevators is standard on airplanes in order that the airplane can ascend or descend.

The novel controls of the invention comprise the following components: a vertical strut 19 disposed perpendicularly to and upon the upper surface of the movable elevator -17 and located on one side of the centerline of the airplane; a slender rod 21, which is linked by one end to the upper end of the strut 19, is disposed parallel to the body 12 and is linked by its other end to one arm 22 of a bell crank 23 that is disposed on the upper side of the body 12 over the wings 13. One arm 22 of hell crank 23 is parallel to the wings 13 and extends toward the same side that strut 19 is disposed. The other arm of the bell crank extends forwardly. A lug 24 is disposed on the upper surface of wing 13 remote from strut 19 and rod 21. Lug 24 is made of a short flat bar and disposed parallel to the body 12 and perpendicular to the wings 13. By machining spherical recesses opposite each other on lug 24, a substantial opening 26 is formed trans- Patented May 30, 1961 versely through the lug 24. A lever 27 protrudes through the opening 26 and is disposed substantially parallel to wings 13. Two washers 28 are welded to lever 27, one on each side of the lug 24. The sides of washers 28 that face each other have a spherical geometry forming bearing contact with the spherical recesses of opening 26, thus forming a ball and socket. Thus, outboard end 29 of lever 27 is free to move within the confines of a circle denoted by ellipse 31 imparting a nutational movement to lever 27. A rigid link 32 connects the inboard end of lever 27 to the other arm of crank 33. A flexible line 33 is connected to end 29 of lever 27 through a standard swivel connection 34.

The model airplane is operated in the following manner: The operator holds the end of line 33 and spins the airplane above his head in a circle. The airplane 11 has sufficient weight to assume a circular orbit and is light enough that the lift produced by the wings and elevator keeps the airplane airborne. The Weight to lift ratio can be determined by anyone skilled in the art of model airplanes. Normally, as the operator whirls the airplane around his body, the line 33, lever 27, swivel 3'4 and link 32 are in a straight line. The bell crank 23 has a position where arm 22 is perpendicular to the body 12 of the airplane, and the rigid rod 21 has a length so that the movable elevator 17 is in the same plane with the fixed elevator 16. The operator, by snapping line 33 opposite the travel of the airplane causes end 29 of lever 27 to move aft of the airplane and assume position 35 by pivoting about lug 24. In order to pivot the movable elevator 17 upward about its hinges 18, the motion of lever 27 is not limited to move only to position 35 as shown in the drawing. As stated heretofore, the end 29 of lever 27 is free to move within the limits denoted by circle 31 in the drawing because of the ball and socket arrangement 26 and 28. Therefore, any mutation of the lever 27 in any direction which causes end 29 to move towards the circle 31 will cause the movable elevator 17 to pivot only upward about hinges 18. The lever 28 exerts a pull on link 32 and in turn on bell crank 23. This action causes arm 22 to pivot forward of the airplane to a position 36 and in turn it causes rod 21 to pivot the movable elevator 17 upward about its hinges 18. When the movable elevator -17 pivots upward, the airplane rises due to known aerodynamic principles.

This description is only one embodiment of the invention. As one alternative, it will be apparent that the controls can be placed on the underside of the plane and still control the elevator.

What is claimed is:

1. A model airplane comprising a moveable elevator having rotational motion about a horizontal axis, a lever mounted on the airplane body, a link for effecting movement of said elevator, a single control cord adapted to extend from said airplane to an operating point, and means cfor mounting said lever on said airplane for rendering nutational motion to said lever, one end of said link and one end of said cord being connected to said lever on opposite sides of said means.

2. A model airplane of claim 1 wherein said means comprises a ball and socket means.

*3. A model airplane of claim 1 wherein said means comprises an apertured member mounted on said plane, said lever protruding through said aperture, and two enlarged portions on said lever disposed on opposite sides of said aperture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Barr Feb. 26, 1946 

